Need PC recommendation with quick recovery switch

I need to install a few PCs into a home environment with kids in in. 
These kids will load games, shareware and all kind of junk on the
machines and trash them within 30 days.

I need some kind of computer that has a easy recovery option.

I used to use CPUs that I would install a Trios device into
(http://www.romtecusa.com/trios/product/product.htm) . I has 2 cloned
drives in there.  When they trashed the first one, they would shut
off, press the switch on the Trios and then boot into the second
config.

It worked fine, except only on certain brands of Compaq CPUS.  The
Trios devices turned out to be very incompatible with lot CPU/hard
drive combinations.  That was back with the Trios 1.   We bought 10 of
the Trios IIs, and ended up throwing them all away, couldn?t find
compatibility.  What a nightmare.

Does dell or anyone made a solution that has a quick recovery via a
2nd drive or 2nd partition.

It has to be something where it restores to a customized windows with
our special config of outlook, etc.  Restoring to a fresh install of
windows will not work.  It has to have all our software installed and
tweaked already.

I need something with a simple switch or simple boot CD.

The CPUs need to be under $950 and just be basic PCs with 500meg RAM,
30 gig HD, Win XP, a CD burner, any speed.

help!

thanx in advance,

---

Clarification of Question by sherpaj-ga on 27 Apr 2004 07:43 PDT

Need an answer in the next day or two.  sorry for the short notice.

All you need to do is download a copy of Symantec Ghost, or a similar
application (to your liking). Then Create an image of the fresh hard
disk as you'd like it to be every time, burn it on to cd/dvd (if it
will fit), or alternatively an additional hard disk (as you mention
you have some already), and then use the software to reinstall a fresh
image each time, leaving the original copy intact.

Hi,

Install the systems as you have, but on the boot loader (boot.ini)

[boot loader]
timeout=2
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect

So if the first drive is trashed, you can hold down the arrow key
(during boot)then the menu will show up, and just choose the second
drive and or partition (however you want to do it!).Just hide the
other drive in the OS so it can not be seen.

Just as easy as the switch, but free and will work with any system
config running NT core (Win XP)

X

The software methods are valid, but there is a simpler hardware
solution that is Dell, Compaq, whoever compatible.

That is, buy yourself a RAID IDE card (or SATA whatever is in your
system). You want the raid card to mirror your drives so that if Drive
0 Fails, Drive 1 contains the working copy of your data from when
drive 0 failed. In this scenario, you can replaced the failed drive
and get back to the mirrored operation with ease and simplicity.

This setup requires 2 HD (not necessarily same size - just always get
a bigger one) plus the RAID HD controller card (set the card to Raid 1
- mirroring).

The Raid card is PCI and can be transfered to any machine. The cost of
a raid card is only around $70. You can get these from vendors like
Adaptec and Promise.

Your local computer store will know what you are talking about.

The beauty about this also is if you have 1 master drive OEM setup,
then you can just keep plugging in drives into the raid array and it
will mirror the master drive so you can create as many clones off the
master as you like.

Sorry, forgot to add that when 1 drive fails, you get an alert, but
the PC will continue to run... even with the failed drive in it - it
just wont use it. So you can replace the dead drive at your
convenience without shutting down as soon as a drive fails.

Hi,

RAID 1 or any for that matter, will not work. Because if you mirror
the drive that gets trashed, well you have an exact copy of it. Unless
you mirror it then break the mirror, then when other drive needs to be
replaced, disconnect it then connect the mirror. I think the person
wants a stand-by copy of the orginal disk. which would be as I
metioned.


X

I like xeno555-ga's comment.  One ques, how do i hide the drive from the OS?

Hi,

You could create accounts for the kids that do not have administrative
privileges. Then you could just deny them access to the HDD using the
security tab.

Thanks.
endo